PARK EUNJI thanked the doctor and walked out of the office. Only then did she release the breath she had been holding. The doctor assured her that everything was normal with her son. His pheromone levels were stable, and other changes in his body were normal. The only concern the doctor mentioned was that Haneul was a recessive Omega.
But for Eunji, that's not really a problem. Because recessive Omegas had less pheromone release than dominant ones. Their heat cycle was also not that unstable. The only issue would be their fertility. If dominant Omegas were very fertile and were easy to get pregnant, recessive ones were the complete opposite.
It's almost the same principle with dominant and recessive Alphas. But instead of fertility, they were mostly classified by their virility. Aside from that, it was also believed that dominant Alphas had stronger bodies and were much more good-looking. That part was actually the same with dominant Omegas. Most of them were much more beautiful than recessive Omegas.
Eunji thought back to his son. After he manifested as an Omega, he became much more... charming, if that was even the right word. She's not just saying this because he was her son, but, in terms of looks, Haneul would be on par with any dominant Omegas.
That's why she was even more worried. Even if Haneul was a recessive Omega, with his current appearance alone, he would still attract too much attention. Both warranted and unwarranted.
When Haeun manifested as a dominant Aplha, her only worry back then was how she and her husband could guide her so she wouldn't go astray. After all, Alphas had a tendency to think they were better than everyone else.
Even if today's society was no longer hierarchical like it was in the past, some families still maintained the belief that having an Alpha child was the best. So whenever they had an Alpha child, they would spoil that child rotten. Especially more so if they were a dominant Alpha.
Those children grew up arrogant and self-centered. Because they were brought up in a way that made it seem like they were the center of the universe.
Both she and Hyunwoo didn't want Haeun to grow up like that. They didn't want their children to act like they're better than anyone else just because of their secondary gender. But that didn't mean that they wanted them to be overly kind, where they could be easily pushed around by other people. They just wanted them not to grow up like trash and the scum of society.
Thankfully enough, both Haneul and Haeun were both good kids. But as parents, they still had the duty of guiding them to make sure they wouldn't make a wrong turn in life. She hoped that neither she nor Hyunwoo would make any mistakes that could lead their children down the wrong path.
As she was pondering those things, she didn't notice that she had already arrived in front of Haneul's hospital room. Before entering, she managed her facial expression first. Making sure that no hint of worry was on her face.
The moment she opened the door, her steps faltered when she saw Haneul crying in his father's arms. After the momentary shock, she quickened her steps, almost rushing forward.
"What's wrong, Haneul-ah? Are you hurt anywhere? You can tell Mom," she said while looking at her son up and down to make sure he wasn't hurt.
Haneul's silent sobs seemed to intensify even more the moment he heard her voice. So, Eunji could only sit beside him, holding his hand and gently patting it. She looked at her husband, silently asking the other what had happened for their son to be like this. The other only shook his head. Obviously, he also had no idea why Haneul was crying like this.
After a while, Haneul gently broke free from his father's embrace. Then he wiped away his tears. "I-I'm sorry, Mom, Dad, for crying so out the blue like this. You must have been surprised."
"There's nothing to apologize for. As we have told you before, crying to vent out your emotion is never a bad thing," Hyunwoo quickly said.
"Your father is right," Eunji seconded.
"I- I'm just so happy to be together with Mom, Dad, and Haeun," Haneul said with a weak smile. Normally, he would have stopped there, but his emotions were still all over the place that he couldn't help but let out some frustrations that had piled up in his heart. "Although I'm really, really happy to be here, I just- why did my body have to be like this?"
Although Eunji couldn't understand the part about happiness, since the four of them had never been apart, she fully understood the last part that Haneul said. Her son must still not be able to accept the fact that he was now an Omega.
She should have noticed this much sooner, but she only became aware of it after Haneul had already cried out his frustrations. She almost slapped herself for that negligence.
She put her arm around Haneul's shoulders, pulling him closer and letting him lean on her.
"Haneul-ah, there's nothing wrong with your body. You're still as perfect as you were before your manifestation. Your worth isn't defined by your status as an Omega. In fact, being an Omega is just one aspect of who you are now. It doesn't diminish your talents, your intelligence, or your value as a person. Remember, acceptance starts from within. Embrace yourself for who you are, and others will follow your lead. We're here to support you every step of the way."
"That's right, Haneul-ah. Dad and Mom will always be here to support you," Hyunwoo added.
Hearing what his mother and father said, Haneul felt like crying again. Although he told himself that he would start to accept the changes in his body, he knew deep inside that it was all just lip service. He was still not ready to take that step.
But having to cry out all his frustrations and knowing that his parents would be there for him, the heaviness in his heart finally started to lighten. With that, he knew that he was now ready to accept this new him.
"Thank you, Mom, Dad," he said, hugging the two.